Tag: Visions of the Unexcused Premiere

For fans of the Rochester, NY based indie pop band Howlo, the announcement of a Ben Morey solo album is big news. Known primarily for punchy indie rock, Mt. Doom finds Morey exploring more of a cosmic country sound. Featuring the efforts of nearly 30 members of the Rochester indie rock community, including turns from members of Pleistocene, Green Dreams, Maybird, Northern Spies, and of course, Howlo – Mt. Doom is a bold and lush soon to be classic.

To celebrate the release, Visions of the Unexcused was granted an exclusive stream of the tune “New Life” – which finds Morey’s folk sound enhanced by ghostly steel guitar & mournful back-up harmonies.

The music ofThe Ghost of Electricity – a recording project featuring Ray McNamara; is unabashedly adventurous & unique. His upcoming EP, Bones, will be released on 2/3/16 by Spark & Fizz Records– and it’s a sonic sculpture whose psychedelic shape morphs with repetitive listens, forming a topography that makes for constant (and rewarding) change. There’s a meditative quality to the EP that is restrained in presentation but complex in composition – Zen Chaos. “The Ritual” is the opening track off Bones and shimmers you into the jangled depths this EP contains.

Fresh from taking part in the always fantastic Outlaw Roadshow in NYC – The Longwall’s have released the first of a ten-song live video from their record release show back in March (due out in early December w/audio). Fittingly for this Halloween weekend the song they’ve chosen is “Zombies!” – one of my favorite tracks from their 2008 debut Field Guide for the Zombie Survivalist.

Filmed back in March at The Bridge Sound and Stage for the release of their absolutely stellar Gold Standard– an album which will be featured on Visions upcoming “Best Of The Year” podcast. I was lucky enough to be present for this show. Beer was packed at the front of the stage from the still too high snow banks outside – and the mood inside was positively captivated – something this video, and the upcoming video series encapsulate wonderfully.

The synched archival footage make for stunning shots in Detroit Rebellion’s latest video.

Detroit Rebellion’s music teems with fidgety unease, a touch of anxiety, and an undeniable groove. Their primal approach has the repetitive nature of a machine gun and the artistic touch of a seasoned blues man. We’re lucky enough to premiere their latest video for “The Detroit Rebellion of ’67” and the striking archival footage taken from said riot matches their music distinctly – or is it the other way around?

Gladiola play what I consider literate rock. Their lyrics work as an informed paintbrush and when mixed together with their instrumentation a thoughtful picture is formed. This is certainly true with “Little Mystic” – the closing track off their latest album Off You Go. Visions of the Unexcused is lucky enough to premiere the video for “Little Mystic” which helps make the picture they’ve painted become even more complete. The video solidifies the concept of the song, and it serves as a love letter to the Greater Boston area, youth, and nostalgia. Bill Madden-Fuoco’s lyrics are a cross between Jonathan Richman’s hyper-local narrative and Jim Carroll’s poetic nature (with a little Craig Finn thrown in for good measure) and the results are always considerate and consistent.